How much money should I give me DS for lunch at college canteen

[Greenbanana7]

He's just started, Previously I just put money on his account at school. Thanks

I've been giving him £4 a day but he says that others have more

We give DS £4 a day for a sandwich/baguette and he takes a few things from home aswell.

How expensive is it? Do they take water/snacks.

Perhaps try £5 a day? If they gave too much then let them.use up the reminder of the money on a Friday..

At my dc’s college, a meal with a drink is £3.90. I expect some of the students like a snack on top of that eg there is a shop where you can get crisps or chocolate etc.

Well how much do things cost and how much are you prepared to pay for one persons lunch?
£20/25 per week for 5 lots of lunch seems a lot to me. That’s about 1/5 of our entire food budget for the week for everyone!

I’ve said to mine that he should spend two weeks buying food in the canteen, tell me what he’s had, then I can see how much things tend to cost and I’ll give him that regularly. Im guessing it’ll be £4-5 per day as likely to be less subsidised than school canteen? Id work on the basis that it should be enough for a main meal or sandwich, but he should take snacks from home and just have water not cans/juice (he never gets these anyway).

I have no idea how much it costs, very different set up to school. We used to be able to see the menu. Guess I could ring college tomorrow and ask but it doesn't sound like he has been short changed by me from what others are giving x

Mine gets £5 a day for food. It’s a lot for us and doesn’t get that great a meal but we tried making lunch at home and it didn’t get done/eaten.

Mine doesn’t like the look of what served so will be going by the local Tesco and getting a meal deal.

There’s always going to be people with more money but £4 ish sounds right for a sandwich and drink. Do you have crisps and anything snacks bits that he can take in if the portion sizes are small?

He has ADHD and cannot self regulate easily and I worry he will spend it all at Lidl on junk. He also only does 4 days per week in college

Literally know no parents as college not connected to school and has a wide catchment area, so no one to ask who I know x

Just 16

But probably immature for his age

He doesn't tell me much, like some teenage boys of that age, he is a boy of little words other than the odd grunt or occasionally'I love you mum'

£4 per week,I think I need to relook that too as he gets the same as his 3 younger siblings but may need more now he is an older teenager

Nothing, take packed lunch from home or if he wants meal deals he gets a part time job.

Getting into the habit of buying meal deals everyday isn't a great one as he gets older. I wouldn't want that to be the norm. If you or his dad work outside the house do you have meal deals every day? I certainly don't and I'm sure he wouldn't if it was his own money. £4 for 4 days for 39 school weeks is over £600 on sandwiches and a drink.

Thanks, that's why I'm looking for some wisdom on what is reasonable/normal 👍